Spring Bring, Teens and Maintaining Cell Phone Bills

With the start of Spring Break around the corner (and summer soon after!), some people, including our teens, will be traveling abroad.

Nothing can put a damper on fond memories of a trip faster than sticker shock from your wireless bill. To help customers keep charges predictable when traveling internationally, AT&T offers these tips:

·         First, check service availability where you’re traveling.
·         Determine wireless device compatibility with your travel destination.
·         Check for provider hotspots where you’re traveling.
·         If you want to use data and track your usage abroad, purchase an international data package. An international data package can significantly reduce the cost of using data abroad. When evaluating which data package to purchase, look at your average monthly data usage on past statements and estimate your data needs based on the number of days you’ll be traveling internationally. Remember, streaming audio/video can use a lot of data very quickly.
·         Track your usage upon arrival abroad. Some devices (like iPhones) have native usage trackers, and most communication manager software for laptops will have usage tracking capabilities. If your device does not offer an embedded usage tracker, check to see if your provider has an app that will. For example, AT&T offers the myAT&T app
·         If you don’t want to receive email automatically, disable your device’s autocheck functionality. You may then use WiFi as a supplement to 3G/GPRS/EDGE to download and manually check email.
·         If you want to place calls but not use data, check the settings on your device before traveling abroad. By default, the setting for international data roaming will typically be in the “OFF” position.

Turning data roaming “OFF” blocks email, browsing, visual voicemail and downloads, but it will not block text messages. International roaming rates apply when you send text or picture/video messages.

Let’s face it, in a time when gas is sky-rocketing, the groceries are going up, the last thing we need to be faced with is another increase of a monthly bill.

Teens and Smartphones: Is your teenager ready for a Smartphone?

The holidays are here and many tweens and teens are asking for cell phones and Smartphones.  But are they ready for the responsibility of having one?

• Do children really need Smartphones?
• Can Smartphones be beneficial to their learning alongside school?
• Are Smartphones a fashion statement?
• Is it fair if all families cannot afford them?  Peer pressure to those that can’t have them?

Pew Internet tells us 77% of US 12-to-17-year-olds now have cellphones and 23% Smartphones, so if your 12-year-old tells you “everybody has a cellphone,” s/he’s less and less far off the mark. But when to get a kid his or her first cellphone is very individual too, based on how s/he handles technology, people, and responsibility!

Cons: Smartphones can be used to bully other children through advanced messaging features which are available on smartphones and also apps which can be downloaded.
Pros:  Parents can track their child to make sure they are safe while they are out playing with friends or going to school.

An excellent article was recently written: Five things to do before giving your teenager a Smartphone – definitely worth the time to read if you are considering purchasing a phone for your child this holiday season.

Cellphone Safety Tips from Connect Safely:

Cellphones are increasingly full-blown handheld computers, and everything that can be done on the Web via computer – photo-sharing, Web browsing, game playing, tune-swapping, real-time text chat, and (oh yeah) talking – can be done on a phone. Here are some basic ideas for keeping mobile phone use safe and constructive: 

Smart socializing. Use the same good sense about what you post from your phone as from a computer. Once they’re posted, text, photos, and video are tough to take back, can be copied and pasted elsewhere, and are up there pretty much forever. Think about the people in them (including you!). Reputations are at stake – even more so if racy photos are involved. Just best not to go there.
Phones are personal. Letting other people use your phone when you’re not around is like letting them have the password to your social network profile. They can impersonate you. Which means they can play tricks on you that could really become a problem. It’s a very good idea to lock your phone when you’re not using it.
Bullying by phone. Because people socialize on cellphones as much as online, cyberbullying can be mobile too. Treat people on phones and the Web the way you would in person, and the risk of being bullied goes down. Be aware, too, of people randomly taking pictures at parties, in locker rooms, etc. – you may not want to be tagged in their social-network photo albums!
Sexting: The vast majority of kids – 99% – are smart and don’t take, send, or post or even store nude photos of themselves or peers on their phones. People who do so can be charged with production, distribution, or possession of child pornography, a serious crime. They can also be subjected to jokes, bullying, blackmail, expulsion from school, loss of a job, etc. and the images can circulate forever. Just don’t go there.
The value of “presence.” If you do a lot of texting, consider the impact that being “elsewhere” might be having on the people around you. Your presence during meals, at parties, in the car, etc. is not only polite, it’s a sign of respect and appreciated.
Down time is good. Constant texting and talking can affect sleep, concentration, school, and other things that deserve your thought and focus. You need your sleep and real friends understand there are times you just need to turn off the phone – harassment can happen between midnight and morning too.
Social mapping. Most cellphones now have GPS technology and there are a growing number of services that allow friends to pinpoint each other’s physical location. If you use such a service, do so only with friends you know in person, and get to know the service’s privacy features!
No texting while driving! Research shows that texting while driving can significantly increase the risk of a crash or near-crash situation. Silence your phone in the car, pull over if you need to use it, and of course follow your state’s hands-free laws for mobile phones in cars.

The Great Debate: Do Kids Need Cell Phones?

A debate that can depend on the child?
A debate that can depend on the age of the child?
A debate that can depend on the maturity of the child?
A debate that can depend on the family and their beliefs?

The debate regarding the necessity of mobile phones for children continues to rage on as kids demand cell phones at younger and younger ages. Many parents, however, believe that cell phones are a non-essential luxury that can be reserved until a certain age; others feel that in this day and age, mobiles are an important asset for everyone, children included.

In this article, we’ll look at 10 reasons why your kid can do without a mobile:

1.  Children shouldn’t be any place where there isn’t responsible adult supervision – Any time children aren’t within the care of their parents there should always be someone old enough to watch the kids with them. There is no need for them to carry their own personal phones when they and their parents adhere to this simple common sense policy, which has worked for centuries.
2.  What children actually use phones for varies greatly from why the phone was initially bought – Children are using these phones for everything but the emergencies that parents use as a rationale for equipping them with mobiles in the first place. Facebook won’t help in an emergency, and neither will Angry Birds. And who texts an emergency message anyway?
3. The phones being purchased for emergency situations are coming equipped with the latest technology – Most parents who argue that the phone is a safety measure for their child wind up spending a bundle on web access and texting service for their kids’ phones, both of which are totally unnecessary for their supposed purpose.
4.  Cell phones are becoming less a help and more a hindrance – Kids spend time on their mobile phones that could and should be spent more productively. Given the state of education in this country, the time is past due to eliminate distractions rather than hand them out to our kids.
5. Cell phones open gateways to trouble – Most of the dangers to their kids that parents are dealing with are related to the fact that their kids are in constant contact via cell phones. Cyber-bullying, sexting and other such issues are far more likely to put your child at risk than not having a cell phone.
6.  Having the world at your fingertips can be a dangerous distraction – Cell phone use could in fact put your child at risk to the sort of perils that parents envision when they buy the kids phones to begin with. Think about it: your child is too busy texting, surfing, or playing games that she becomes otherwise oblivious to her surroundings.
7.  They cause a dependence on constant connection – It isn’t healthy for kids to remain so dependent on constant connectivity in order to function. Kids need to develop independence and the capacity for responsible decision-making without supervision.
8.  They have a negative influence on productivity and learning – Kids are frequently using their cell phones, to their own detriment as well as others, at times and in places at which there is no need for them to have one, such as in school. Some schools, for this reason, have taken steps to ban them.
9.  Cell phones encourage superficial relationships – Cell phone use inhibits social development. Kids become more reliant on their devices to communicate and spend less face time with friends and family as a result.
10.  They make kids grow up too fast – Kids should be allowed to be kids. There will be plenty of years ahead when they will have jobs and responsibilities that might necessitate their having these electronic leashes. We should let them enjoy this time in their lives while they still can.

 Source: Land Line Phone Service

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Distracted Driving: Txting - It can wait....

Distracted driving kills.  Whether it is drinking and driving or texting and driving, if you are not driving and paying attention to the road and your car, you are not only endangering yourself, you are a danger to others on the road.

AT&T has been committed to bring awareness and helping prevent distracted driving.

Below is a link to a video that AT&T shot last week during a teen safety fair in Washington D.C., sponsored by a DC TV station and the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) — a network of national associations and federal agencies focused on youth safety and health. (You may recall, last May AT&T announced a $1 million commitment in the fight against texting and driving. That commitment involves a contribution to NOYS to develop and train student ambassadors on anti-texting-while-driving education. The students then host summits on the topic within their schools and hometowns throughout the school year.)

As part of the D.C. teen safety fair, AT&T had a TWD Simulator on site to give teens a first-hand experience at just how much of a distraction texting and driving can be.  As you’ll see from the video, the simulator is a full-sized car. Kids get in the simulator, put on goggles and start driving, using a heads-up street display in their goggles. They then send a text message and the inevitable result is the kid crashes into a car or a pedestrian.

Link to TWD Simulator:  http://silo.mediasilo.com/weblink/FBF9900EF2686B78BA344B8D06D55ECC/22455/

Background on our “Txting While Driving … It Can Wait” campaign:

While distracted driving is an issue for all motorists, teenagers are particularly at risk.  Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and the proliferation of distracted driving among teens is a huge challenge.
That’s why AT&T”s “Txting…It Can Wait” public awareness campaign is especially focused on educating teens about the risks of texting while driving and spreading the message that text messages can wait.  Not even red lights, professionals say, signal a “safe” time to text.

As part of its campaign, AT&T has developed a powerful documentary called “The Last Text” that examines the real world consequences of texting and driving.  Each of the eight individuals in the video — whose lives have been impacted tragically by texting while driving — volunteered their stories to help educate Americans — particularly youth — on the risks of texting behind the wheel.  The documentary can be viewed online on the AT&T “It Can Wait” website and on the AT&T YouTube page.

Texting is so dangerous because it takes a driver’s eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds.  At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of a football field completely blind.  Studies show a driver’s reaction time is doubled when reading or sending a text, and that motorists sending a text while driving are 23 more times likely to be in a crash.

10 Tips to help your teen secure their cell phones and other tech devices with strong passwords

With the ever expanding world of technology and the sometime irresponsible world of our teenagers, it is important they learn how to create strong and secure passwords for their cell phones, iPads, computers, social networking etc.

There may come a time when they lose their phone or other technology devices; help them secure their privacy and safety.  Or maybe someone picks up their phone or iPad and starts browsing it with unacceptable searches or worse gains access to their social networking page and posts pictures or content that are less than acceptable.

School is opening, more teens than ever have cell phones or iPads that are easily transported with them to school.  Help them create strong and secure passwords and this includes their social networking sites.

In this day in age it seems like you can’t trust anyone.  It’s kind of sad when you think about it. Every time you log on to a site you have to have a password now.  We all have trouble remembering passwords, but it’s not a good idea to use something easy like your birthday or your kids’ birthday.  These are dates and numbers that hackers and sadly even friends will try.

Check out 10 tips for stronger, more secure passwords.

1. Length matters: Longer passwords are harder for hackers to figure out.  Use a password that is at least 8 characters or longer.  Try combining names and dates to make it easy for you to remember, but harder for a hacker to discover.
2. Change it up: Yep, I want you to come up with different passwords for different sites.  It is possible that your password for one site could be compromised and then they can use your password to access other sites that you frequent.  You may be wondering what are the odds of that happening and while I can’t tell you the exact odds I can tell you that you don’t want someone to steal your identity.  If someone gets your password they can find you on Facebook and see what you are into and then that will give them clues for where else to try to login.
3. Be different: Use a symbol in your password.  People are less likely to guess a password with an @ symbol in the middle of it.  Or use a capital letter or a number in your password.  The more unusual you can make it the harder it will be for someone to figure it out.  If you use a symbol you can use it as part of something easy for you to remember.  Something you like, Big$$$$$ or something funny like that.
4. Make up your own acronym: For example, you could do Sghsin1985.  This stands for Sam graduated high school in 1985.  This is a strong password because it’s not easy to guess, it’s longer than 8 characters, it blends numbers with letters and there is a capital letter in it.  If you want to be even cleverer you can substitute the s for high school and use $ in it’s place. (Sgh$in1985)
5. Hide your passwords: Okay, I know what you are thinking.  How am I supposed to remember what password I used for which site if I’m going to use different ones for everything?  Feel free to write them down, but don’t use a sticky note stuck to your computer.  If someone were to break into your home they could see that and take it figuring that they will continue to steal from you online.  Hide your passwords in your home.  Tape it in the back of a reference book or something.
6. Beware of the computer you’re using: With cyber cafes out there and libraries that let you get online you need to be careful with how secure the computers are.  Even our home computers might not be as secure with being able to access the Internet through our phones and tablets.
7. Don’t pick a random word: You may think that just picking some random word that is longer than 8 characters would be a good choice, but it isn’t.  There are programs out there that hackers use that will literally run through all of the words in the dictionary.  Always change it up.  If your favorite word is curmudgeon then use it, but add some sort of number with it either before or after it or a symbol.
8. Avoid using personal information: One of the biggest mistakes people make when coming up with a password is by using their kids’ names or dog’s name or anniversary date.  All of these things are available for hackers to find and they can use that information against you.  Feel free to use this information in combination with other things though.
9. Try not to use repeated numbers: You might be tempted to use 8 characters in a row on your keyboard.  (wertyuio)  This looks on the surface like it would be a good idea, but hackers are onto these types of passwords.  That same as 12345678 is a bad choice.  Also, don’t just spell something backwards.  Hackers are onto that trick too.
10. Test your new password: Once you have done all the legwork and come up with what you think is the perfect password you can go HERE and check the strength.  If you need to make adjustments after that you can.

Source:  Internet Service Providers

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Teen Text Slang: Do You Know What Your Teen is Saying?

What are they saying?

Learning the teen language is only the beginning of parenting teenagers today.

Do you know the A-Z text codes?

Brought to you by TextZapper, now is a very good time to become an educated parent!
TextZapper is a parental-controlled cell phone app, which essentially has a message monitoring component that notifies the parent who is alerted via a text on their cell phone – if a suspicious text or email is sent to their son or daughter.

Any language which makes reference to sex, sexting, as well as things related to cyberbullying, suicide, guns, weapons or drugs – among many other things – are red-flagged.
There are more than 11,000 key words and phrases that trigger the notification. In addition to the alert about the message, the parent will also receive the phone number responsible for sending the message.

Here is an A-Z list of text codes you should know about:

• 1174   Nude club
• 182     I hate you
• 420     Marijuana
• 4Q      F*** You
• 53X     Sex
• 8         Oral sex
• 9         Parent is watching
• 99       Parent is no longer watching
• A/S/L/P  Age/Sex/Location/Picture
• A3         Anyplace, Anywhere, Anytime
• ADIH     Another Day In Hell
• ASL       Age/Sex/Location
• banana  code word for penis
• BITFOB   Bring It The F*** On, Bitch
• BJ           Blow Job
• BM          Byte Me
• BMF        Bad Mother F***er
• BOHICA   Bend Over Here It Comes Again
• BTFO      Back The F*** Off -or- Bend The F*** Over
• BUFF       Big Ugly Fat F***
• CBF        Can't Be F***ed
• CBJ         Covered Blow Job
• CD9        Code 9 - it means parents are around
• CU46      See You For Sex
• DOC       Drug Of Choice
• DUM       Do You Masturbate?
• DURS     Damn You Are Sexy
• DUSL     Do You Scream Loud?
• EOL       End Of Life
• ESMF     Eat Sh** Mother F***er
• FAH        F***ing A Hot
• FAP       F***ing A Pissed
• FAYF***    All Y'all
• FBF***    Buddy -or- FaceBook
• FBI         F***ing Brilliant Idea -or- Female Body Inspector
• FMLTWIA   F*** Me Like The Whore I Am
• FMUTA      F*** Me Up The Ass
• FNG       F***ing New Guy
• FO         F*** Off
• FOAD    F*** Off And Die
• FU2       F*** You Too
• FUBAR  F***ed Up Beyond All Recognition (or Repair)
• FUBB    F***ed Up Beyond Belief
• GAFL    Get A F***ing Life
• GAGFI  Gives A Gay First Impression
• GAL      Get A Life
• HOIC     Hold On, I'm Coming
• I&I         Intercourse & Inebriation
• IBGYBG   I'll Be Gone, You'll Be Gone
• IPN        I'm Posting Naked
• ITS        Intense Text Sex
• IWBAPTKYAIYSTA   I Will Buy A Plane Ticket And Kick Your Ass If You Say That Again
• IWBNI    It Would Be Nice If
• IWFU     I Wanna F*** You
• IWIWU   I Wish I Was You
• IWSN     Want Sex Now
• IYAOYAS   If You Ain't Ordinance You Ain't Sh**
• kitty        Code word for vagina
• KPC        Keeping Parents Clueless
• KWSTA   Kiss With Serious Tongue Action
• L8R         Later
• L?^          Let's hook up
• LABATYD Life's A Bitch And Then You Die
• LAGNAF   Lets All Get Naked And F***
• LAQ          Lame Ass Quote
• LB?W/C    Like Bondage? Whips or Chains
• LBR and LGR   Little Boy's Room and Little Girl's Room
• LBUG or LBIG  Laughing Because You're Gay -or- Laughing Because I'm Gay
• LD            Long Distance -or- Later Dude
• LDIMEDILLIGAF  Look Deeply Into My Eyes, Does It Look Like I Give A F***
• LHOS       Lets Have Online Sex
• LHSO       Let's Have Sex Online
• LHU          Let's Hook Up
• LIB           Lying In Bed
• NICE        Nonsense In Crappy Existence
• NIFOC     Nude In Front Of The Computer
• NIGYYSOB  Now I've Got You, You Son Of a B*tch
• RUH            Are You Horny?
• RUMCYMHMD   Are You on Medication Cause You Must Have Missed a Dose
• RUMORF     Are You Male OR Female?
• SMB     Suck My Balls
• STM     Spank The Monkey
• URAPITA     You Are A Pain In The Ass
• URSAI          You Are Such An Idiot

ZapMyText and learn more about what your teens are talking about.  More importantly, be sure they are not text talking and driving.  Texting and driving is deadly - talk today to your teen about texting and driving and the life you save may be your child's.
Don't forget about distracted bicycling!  Too many teens are texting and pedaling, which is extremely dangerous too.  Read more.

Read more.

Perils of Parenting: Do you stay unplugged long enough to LISTEN to your teens?

Dateline featured one of the most compelling wake-up segments for parents this week.  Perils of Parenting has been the coffee table and water cooler topic since it aired this week.  Even Twitter has been Tweeting all week about it!

What if you could spy on your kids as they go through a typical day, dealing with some typical problems — like bullying, and drinking & driving? A group of parents did just that — with the help of Dateline's hidden cameras. What they learned about their children could teach us all a little something about our own. Kate Snow reports. - Watch full episode here.


Look who's talking is a perfect example of parents being a poor example to their kids.  Are you a BBM parent?  What is one?  Black-Berry-Messenger Parent.  Watch the video below as the little boy, probably no older than 7, talks about BBM people.

In this short clip below, it is shocking how aware these young kids are to realize how much virtual time their parents are spending in comparison to their parenting time.

Perils of Parenting featured Parenting Expert and Author, Dr. Michele Borba who concludes that parents need to unplug!  We hear about our kids and their Internet and social networking addictions or even obsessions, but have parents looked at who they are mimicking?

Take the time to watch this segment and more important, take the time to be with your kids 100%!
Would your teen get in the car with a drunk driver?  The answers will shock you.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens and kids.


Watch video and read more.

Distracted Riding: Texting and Biking Kills

Over and over again we read articles about distracted driving.  Oprah featured the No Phone Zone and accumulated thousands to join in.  It is a fact, texting and driving or talking on your phone can kill.  It is distracted driving that can take your focus off the road and into an oncoming car within seconds.

Newsflash: Distracted driving includes bicycles!


As school has opened in many parts of the country, including Broward County, teens will ride to their bikes to get to school.  After witnessing several teenagers in Sunrise biking and texting in the morning to school, suddenly I realized that there are not enough warnings about the dangers of biking and texting.

Riding a bicycle is part of growing up, however riding a bike responsibly is maturity.  Teenagers need to realize distracted driving extends to distracted riding.

In many situations teens are not allowed to have their cells on in class, so every other waking moment during the day, including their commute to school, they are mingling with their tech gadgets and arranging their social day with their friends.

Parents need to speak with their teens about the dangers of texting and talking with only one hand on the bike handles.  It is dangerous, it is deadly and it can be an accident waiting to happen. No text is worth dying over!

Sadly, the driver that may hit your teen can be held accountable while it was the bikers fault for drifting on to the road while texting or talking.

Stop, talk, repeat, talk again - you can never talk enough about the dangers of distracted biking or driving. Remember parents, be an example to your kids!

Be an educated parent, you will have safer teens!


Watch video for potential ban on texting and biking. Read more.

Teen Rule with Texting - New Study Reveals High Cellphone Usage

This week the Nielsen Study was released and revealed some interesting results concerning cellphone usage and texting.  Florida ranks fourth highest in the county for cellphone usage and teens rule when it comes to texting.

As you travel through the school zones in Duval County is it hard to miss at least one teenager on a cellphone or texting someone.  If you stop at the new Dunkin Donuts on San Marcos in St. Augustine you will almost always run into one or more people on their cellphones as well as a teen texting as fast as their fingers will go.

Yes, teens to rule in texting, after all they probably taught their parents how to text. 

The question is, in today's struggling economy who pays for all these cellphones and unlimited texting and Internet plans?  Sure, you can get great rates today, but you also have parents out of work, families losing their homes and many without health insurance.

It is true, for safety reasons and more cellphones are definitely a benefit and they are also a privilege.  Whether you are stranded with a flat tire or running late to pick up a friend, you can simply call from your cell.  We have seen texting benefits when there is a crime being committed or you are in a situation where you can't talk, but can type.

What would happen if parents reduced their cellphone plans to the basics.  Like we had years ago when we only used the phone for emergencies or needed.  Today they are more of a toy, and can be an expensive monthly one.  To assume all families are having financial difficulties is wrong, however it is a fair assumption that many are definitely having economic meltdowns.

When you go over your family budget, have you considered putting a limit on your teen's cellphone usage? If they have a job or allowance, is your teen pitching in for their cellphone?

Take the time to see where you can save a bit.  You may even find having a conversation with your teen verbally isn't so bad.

See the complete Nielsen Study here.

Read more.

Sue Scheff: One Click Away - Be an educated parent online

Have you thought about how dangerous a "click of a mouse" is? Dangerous?

As you start a new year, take the time to educate yourself on Internet safety. Learn how you can become proactive in your kids lives both online and off. Learn how that one click can either open doors that you can benefit from, or enter hallways are dark and dangerous.

You can put as many parent safety controls on your computer system. You can employ technical gadgets galore, but until you educate yourself and your kids about the dangers that can lurk online, you and your family are not 100% protected.

Yes, you can be just one click away: Be sure it is a click into safety not danger.

Social Web Tips for Parents
Social Web Tips for Teens
Chat room Safety Tips - Know who your kids are mingling with online.
Basic Online Safety Tips: Parenting 101 Cyber Safety
Learn about Internet Predators
Internet Things Your Children Should Never Know
SEXTING: What parents need to know
Parenting 2010: Getting Ahead of your kids technically
T.A.L.K.

Did you order your FREE Cyber safety book from the FTC? Order today!

Be an educated parent, you will have safer kids!

Also on Examiner.

Sue Scheff: SEXTING - What Parents Need to Know

Parenting resolutions are ones that you can't afford to ignore or neglect after a few weeks. One of 2009's hot and trendy topics is "sexting." What is sexting? It is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones.

We don't need more reminders of what sexting can cause emotionally to students. In Florida we had the sad story of cyber tragedy that ended in the suicide of 13 year-old Hope Witsell.

Here are some tips and what parents need to know and use now and in 2010. (Source: Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy):

Set time of day limits on cell phone usage: While many parents have a hard time regulating the number of texts per month and have surrendered to "unlimited texting", you can control the hours that your teen texts. We suggest determining a time when cell phones come of the pocket or out of the bedroom and are placed in a central location on a charger along with your cell phone. Kids who are permitted to keep their cell phones in their room overnight on average get less sleep and are often times texting in the middle of the night. Make the right choice in allowing your teen to obtain uninterrupted sleep by limiting the hours that they have phone access and set rules on when texting is appropriate.

Take laptops out of your child's bedroom: While computers and the Internet provide wonderful educational opportunities and help teens study, they also can provide 24 hour access to social networking sites, instant messaging and email at times when children are not supervised. By removing computers from the teen's bedroom and placing them in a central location, like a family room or kitchen, teens are less likely to have inappropriate contact through the computer and are more likely to notify a parent about an unusual or disturbing message.

Keep computers and laptops in a common area: Studies have shown that teenagers are less likely to engage in risky behavior if they are accessing the Internet in a common room or area where others are likely to be present. This is even true if no one is standing over their shoulder. Just the fact that you can glance at what is on the screen is enough to make kids think twice before going to inappropriate Internet sites or having conversations with individuals who they may not know. Keeping the computer in a common area can only help your child make safe decisions.

Know your child's username and password: While some parents and most all kids groan at the idea of allowing you access to their social networking page, email account or instant messaging, it really is important. The fact that you have access to the information, despite the fact that you may never actually look, protects kids from making bad choices. What's more, in the unlikely event that something should happen to your child, rather than wasting valuable time while law enforcement obtains subpoenas or search warrants, you can quickly access your child's personal Internet conversations and contacts in a matter of seconds. In nearly all cases, once law enforcement is given the access to the on line material, a missing child has been returned or someone who is targeting your child has been apprehended. It's a small piece of information that can have remarkable results if necessary.

Talk to your child about cyberbullying: Today's bullies are no longer the stereotypical "tough kid" in school, but can often times be a physical small child or a straight "A" student. Cyberbullying can happen around the clock due to Internet and cell phone access, which makes your home no longer "safe" from the bully. With 24-hour access to technology, bullying can continue no matter where the victim goes. Talk to your child about bullying and being bullied. If you feel your child is the target of cyberbullying notify law enforcement immediately.

Be sure to read the Five-Part series of Parenting in 2010 and how you can become better in tune with your kids technically ending with T.A.L.K.

Reminder: 2009 Parenting Tips Wrap-up - Continue to keep those lines of communication open.

Sue Scheff: Parenting Tips on Cell Phone Safety and their Teens

Like Internet safety, as parents today, we need to be eduated on cell phone safety and our kids. Here are some great tips from Connect Safely. Take the time to be an educated parent.

Source: Connect Safely

Though teens make little distinction between fixed and mobile socializing, we adults still do. So here are some basic ideas for safe socializing on phones as well as the Web that we hope will work for both generations.

Smart socializing. Use the same good sense about what you post from your phone as from a computer. Once they’re posted, text, photos, and video are tough to take back, can be copied and pasted elsewhere, and are up there pretty much forever. Think about the people in them (including you!). Reputations are at stake, and even more if nudity or sex is involved.

Bullying by phone. Because people socialize on cellphones as much as online, cyberbullying can be mobile too. Treat people on phones and the Web the way you would in person, and the risk of being bullied goes down.

Sexting: It’s the same on phones as on the Web – do not take, send, post or even store on your phone nude photos of anyone under 18. You could be charged with production, distribution, or possession of child pornography, a serious crime. You could also be subjected to jokes, bullying, blackmail, expulsion from school, loss of a job, etc. and the images can circulate forever.
The value of “presence.” If you do a lot of texting, consider the impact that being “elsewhere” might be having on the people around you. Your presence during meals, at parties, in the car, etc. is not only polite, it’s a sign of respect and appreciated.

Down time is good. Constant texting and talking can affect sleep, concentration, school, and other things that deserve your thought and focus. Real friends understand there are times you just need to turn off the phone – harassment can happen between midnight and morning too.
Social mapping. Most cellphones now have GPS technology and there are a growing number of services that allow friends to pinpoint each other’s physical location. If you use such a service, do so only with friends you know in person, and get to know the service’s privacy features!
Reprinted with permission from Connect Safely.

Learn more at the newly updated http://www.connectsafely.org/.

For more info: Connect Safely, Safe Teens.

Also on Examiner.com

Sue Scheff: Dangerous Driving (Teens and Cell Phones)

Just last week I wrote an article for the Examiner about Teen drivers with some valuable resources, including a teen driving contract. This week Connect with Kids offers some parent tips you need to take the time to read. An educated parent is a prepared parent that equals a safer teen!

Source: Connect with Kids

Driving and Talking is Dangerous

“The task of driving and the task of communicating on the cell phone kind of play off the same area of the brain. So it’s got similar brain function for both tasks. [It is] the worst of multi-tasking. And the brain is just not set up to do that effectively. It’s sort of like giving 50 percent to each. And driving takes a lot more than fifty percent concentration.”
– Dr. Cathy Blusiewicz, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist

How well do teens drive while using a cell phone?

“I got into a car accident when I was 16,” answers 18-year-old Katie, “and I made a left turn without a light and I wasn’t paying attention and I was on my cell phone.”

“I usually text message a lot and find myself like swerving off the road,” admits 16-year-old Andrew.

“Mostly when cars stop in front of me,” says 16-year-old Chris, “a lot of times you are looking down texting or whatever and you look up and they are stopped, and you just barely missed them. Or, sometimes, in my case, I did hit one person.”

According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, talking, texting, dialing or answering a cell phone takes drivers’ eyes off the road long enough to travel the length of a football field.
“You might as well be driving with a bag over your head that you take off occasionally,” says psychologist Dr. Cathy Blusiewicz, “It’s a recipe for disaster.”

She says if you’re talking or texting on the phone, your brain cannot fully pay attention to the road ahead.

“The task of driving, and the task of communicating on the cell phone kind of play off the same area of the brain,” says Dr. Blusiewicz, “so it’s got similar brain function for both tasks. [It is] the worst of multi-tasking. And the brain is just not set up to do that effectively. It’s sort of like giving 50 percent to each. And driving takes a lot more than fifty percent concentration.”
Experts say parents must intervene. “Set down some rules and talk to them about, ‘If you have to make a call, you have to pull over,’” says Blusiewicz. “’You have to find a place where you are not driving.’”

Tips for Parents

It is very likely that your teenager will pick up the majority of his/her driving habits from watching you. According to a survey by Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), nearly two-thirds of teenagers polled say their parents talk on the cell phone while driving, almost half say their parents speed, and just under one-third say their parents don’t wear seatbelts.

The following statistics, therefore, shouldn’t be very surprising:
Sixty-two percent of high school drivers say they talk on a cell phone while driving, and approximately half of high school teens who do not yet drive (52 percent) and middle school students (47 percent) expect they will engage in this behavior when they begin driving.
Sixty-seven percent of high school drivers say they speed.

Thirty-three percent of high school drivers say they do not wear their seatbelt while driving.
Cell phones have been transformed from status symbols into everyday accessories. In fact, cell phones are so prevalent among teenagers that a recent study found that they viewed talking on the phone nearly the same as talking to someone face-to-face.

If you believe your teen should have a cell phone, it is important to lay down a few ground rules. The National Institute on Media and the Family suggests the following guidelines for setting limits on your teen’s cell phone use:

Choose a plan that puts some reasonable limits on your teen’s phone time. Make sure he or she knows what the limits are so he or she can do some budgeting.

Let your teen know that the two of you will be reviewing the bill together so you will have some idea of how the phone is being used.

If use exceeds the plan limits, the charges can mount very quickly. Make sure your teen has some consequences, financial or otherwise, if limits are exceeded.
Teach your child about the dangers of using the cell phone while driving and the distractions it can cause.

Find out what the school’s policies are regarding cell phone use and let your teen know that you will completely support the school’s standards.
Agree on some cell phone etiquette. For example, no phone calling during meals or when it is bothersome or rude to other people.

Conversely, let your teen know that any “phone bullying” or cheating via text messaging will not be tolerated.

Let your teen know that his or her use of the cell phone is contingent on following the ground rules. No compliance, no phone.

References
Washington Post
Liberty Mutual
Students Against Destructive Decisions
Road and Travel
Wired News
National Institute on Media and the Family

Sue Scheff: Teen Sexting Tips

Source: SafeTeens.com

Teen Sexting Tips

These tips are re-posted from our sister site, ConnectSafely.org

“Sexting” usually refers to teens sharing nude photos via cellphone, but it’s happening on other devices and the Web too. The practice can have serious legal and psychological consequences, so – teens and adults – consider these tips!

It’s illegal: Don’t take or send nude or sexually suggestive photos of yourself or anyone else. If you do, even if they’re of you or you pass along someone else’s – you could be charged with producing or distributing child pornography. If you keep them on your phone or computer you could be charged with possession. If they go to someone in another state (and that happens really easily), it’s a federal felony.

Non-legal consequences: Then there’s the emotional (and reputation) damage that can come from having intimate photos of yourself go to a friend who can become an ex-friend and send it to everyone you know. Not only can they be sent around; they can be distributed and archived online for people to search for pretty much forever.

Not just on phones. Sexting can be done on any media-sharing device or technology – including email and the Web. Teens have been convicted for child porn distribution for emailing sexually explicit photos to each other.

Many causes. In some cases, kids are responding to peer pressure in a form of cyberbullying or pressure from a boyfriend or girlfriend (they break up, and sometimes those photos get sent around out of revenge). Sometimes it’s impulsive behavior, flirting, or even blackmail. It’s always a bad idea.

Parents: Talk with your kids about sexting in a relaxed setting. Ask them what they know about it (they may not have heard the term, so “naked photo-sharing” works too). Express how you feel in a conversational, non-confrontational way. A two-way dialog can go a long way toward helping your kids understand how to minimize legal, social and reputation risks.

The bottom line: Stay alert when using digital media. People aren’t always who they seem to be, even in real life, and sometimes they change and do mean things. Critical thinking about what we upload as well as download is the best protection.

Learn more: http://www.safeteens.com/teen-sexting-tips/

Texting While Driving

Parents Universal Resource Experts, Sue Scheff - today parenting a teenager has so many more concerns - drinking and driving is a major concern, and now we have to add texting and driving or cell phones and driving with teens. Here is a tipsheet parents need to review if they have a teenage driver in their house.

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Cell Phones and Driving by Connect with Kids

Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) Helpful tips for parents of teens that drive and use their cell phones from Connect with Kids.

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Addicted to Screens by Connect with Kids

Parents Universal Resource Experts (Sue Scheff) - Connect with Kids offers tips for parents of kids that are hooked on their screens - whether it is computer, texting and cell phones.

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Cell Phones and Risk by Connect with Kids

Most parents have given their kids a cell phone and they are a sense of security to know you can get a hold of your child with a phone call. As a Parent Advocate (Sue Scheff) it is important to keep our kids protected and safe.

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